Left-wing politician Bartsch criticizes the head of the network agency as the “discipline of the republic”
Klaus Müller, President of the Federal Network Agency, “should reconsider his role in the energy crisis,” criticizes the opposition
Source: Kay Nietfeld/dpa
Klaus Müller repeatedly warns consumers to use gas sparingly. Left parliamentary group leader Bartsch is now criticizing the former consumer advocate for the constant appeals – and accusing politicians of a “botched up energy policy”.
Dhe chairman of the left-wing faction in the German Bundestag, Dietmar Bartsch, has sharply criticized the President of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, for his repeated appeals to save energy. “Klaus Müller has developed from a consumer advocate to the disciplinarian of the republic. He should reconsider his role in the energy crisis,” Bartsch told the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” (“RND”).
“It is not the task of the citizens to freeze when the temperatures drop below zero for the federal government’s often botched energy policy. Many people are already saving where they can – also because the energy supply became a luxury in the first year of traffic lights,” the left-wing politician continued. “The country’s energy supply is the responsibility of the cabinet, not the consumer,” he added.
“If Klaus Müller is concerned about having enough gas, he should appeal to his party colleague Robert Habeck to make substantial gas purchases and not constantly lecture the citizens,” emphasized Bartsch. “So far, I have not heard any criticism from Mr. Müller towards the Minister for Economic Affairs. Given his tenure, that’s funny.”
People are not “hard cases”, criticizes Bartsch
Bartsch is also dissatisfied with the state aid for heating oil and pellet customers. He accused the traffic light coalition of lack of care in their construction. “The energy aids for heating oil and pellet customers are poorly drafted. Heating oil prices have been going through the roof for ten months. Now the responsibility is shifted to the federal states,” Bartsch continued in the “RND” interview.
He also rejects the term “hardship fund”, continued Bartsch. “People are not cases of hardship, but consumers who can’t do anything about price explosions,” he said.
It is also completely unclear whether the sum of 1.8 billion euros would be sufficient. “If a quarter of the consumers heat with oil, the total sum is quickly raised. There is a risk that citizens will be fobbed off with low one-off aid,” says Bartsch. “The fact that the aid only applies retrospectively, while gas customers are being helped until 2024 creates renewed injustice,” added the left-wing politician.